Time: 2 hours for the waterfall hike. Length: About
2 miles. Difficulty: 2. Trailhead: Maracas
Falls is not anywhere near the famous beach but in the mountains above the
Maracas Valley near the town of St. Joseph, just 6 miles east of Port-of-Spain.

Take the Maracas Royal Road and look for the marked road
to the right leading to the waterfall trail. This secondary road goes for
about a mile before depositing you at the trailhead.

The trail, which leads off to the right, goes for less than a mile before
arriving at the first cascade and its 3 mini-waterfalls.
There are also two natural pools here but the water is cold. It's another
20 minutes to reach the spectacular, 270-foot high main falls.

Not surprisingly, the waterfall is considered a sacred place, which is why
some of the rocks have candle stubs or pools of candle wax,
left by there Hindus and other religious groups. Colored flags in the trees
also indicate its special significance.

You can also climb to the top of the falls but you'll need to rock
hop and scramble up a slippery path. You can swim here, too, in a
stream pool up from the falls.

Although the falls are considered sacred by some, some people
have been robbed and that's less likely to happen if you're in the company
of a local guide.

So if a resident guide flags you down while you're still driving to the trailhead,
you might want to negotiate a fee. He may also suggest that
you park at the bottom of a hill about a 15-minute walk from the trailhead
because it's a more secure location for your vehicle.

In any case, a guide knows the easiest way to reach the
top of the falls.